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Better Kansas – Ideas for Living, Growing and Succeeding

Tag: farm management

Better Kansas – Jan. 28, 2021

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

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Better Kansas this week touches on food allergies, radon, a new soybean production resource, sunflower production challenges and upcoming mini-Risk & Profit Conferences. This is a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Share on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

AS MANY AS 32 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES, INCLUDING 5.6 MILLION CHILDREN. That’s one in every 13 children, or roughly two in every classroom, according to Food Allergy Research & Education. It lists the most common food allergies as cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, tree nuts, shellfish, finned fish and sesame. But researchers are making strides in learning how to prevent allergic reactions. Take a look at Researchers continue to make progress on reducing food allergy reactions for more information. I miss those honey roasted peanuts a particular airline used to serve, but I understand. Hey, they do sell them at airport kiosks!

 

WE’RE JUST WRAPPING UP JANUARY, BUT IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO BRING ATTENTION to Kansas Radon Action Month or to check your home for radon. That can be done any time. The naturally occurring odorless and tasteless radioactive gas is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths in non-smokers. Check the Kansas Radon Program for all kinds of information, including Kansas-specific facts, maps, FAQs and important radon-related contact information.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

AS PROMISED LAST WEEK, I’M PROVIDING INFORMATION ON THE NEWLY AVAILABLE KANSAS SOYBEAN MANAGEMENT 2021 publication, which includes the latest research-based information on tillage and rotations, variety selection, planting practices and seed quality and protein in a clear, concise way. Other sections include weed management, fertilizer requirements, diseases, insects, irrigation and more in just eight pages. More information on growing soybeans in your area (we’re a big state, after all) is available from your local K-State Research and Extension office.

 

KANSAS RANKS NO. 4 IN SUNFLOWER PRODUCTION, but the crop does have its foes. Among them are diseases such as red rust, Rhizopus head rot (oh, that even sounds gross) and charcoal rot. Read Sunflower disease management in Kansas for management tips and great photos. It’s part of the Jan. 21 Agronomy eUpdate which also contains articles on 2021 wheat variety yield comparisons, emergency measures to control wind erosion, World of Weeds: Marestail and information on fast approaching Kansas Corn Schools.

 

DON’T MISS ONLINE MINI-RISK & PROFIT CONFERENCES coming up in February, presented by K-State Research and Extension agricultural economists. Grab a sandwich and make them a lunch and learn:

Feb. 3

12:00-12:45 – Ag Technology Across Generations of Farm Operators and Farmland Value Interactive Dashboard

12:45-1:30 – Farm Profitability

Feb. 17

12:00-12:45 – Agricultural Finance

12:45-1:30 – International Grain Markets and Outlook for 2021

A one-time $20 fee provides access to all mini conferences in the series, including recordings and materials from previous sessions. Register online. And check www.agmanager.info for updates in coming months on the full-fledged annual Risk & Profit Conference that typically occurs in August.

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For more resources and activities, contact the K-State Research and Extension office in your area. Check out our other blogs and subscribe to our weekly emails here: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/

Better Kansas – Jan. 7, 2021

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

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HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT K-STATE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION and from yours truly, Better Kansas writer Mary Lou Peter. Today, we offer info on webinars to keep rural grocery stores thriving, using convection ovens, fraudulent unemployment claims (again), fencing know-how, a virtual land lease meeting and mini-Risk & Profit Conferences in January and February. This is a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Share on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

WE’RE TEAMING UP AGAIN, THIS TIME TO KEEP RURAL GROCERY STORES THRIVING. A  webinar series, Keeping Groceries Alive: Successful Ownership Transitions for Rural Grocery Stores, is set to begin Jan. 28. The eight-part series is sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and presented by the Rural Grocery Initiative. The sessions will help grocery owners understand their options during the process of transitioning to new ownership, including the possibilities of community partnerships. Several topics will be covered, including Assessing Markets & Community Needs, Planning Your Business, Funding the Transition and Recruiting Store Managers. The Rural Grocery Initiative is itself a partnership of K-State Research and Extension, NetWork Kansas, the Kansas Rural Center, the Food Co-Op Initiative, and the Kansas Center for Business Transition.

 

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO I BOUGHT A TOASTER/CONVECTION OVEN – my adult children swear by them for their convenience and time-saving ways. However, once out of the box I was reminded that I really don’t know a thing about using a convection oven – even after reading the manual, which featured several languages, but that didn’t help me either. So, I was happy to see the article Convection Know-How in a recent extension newsletter. Sheesh, I’ve learned that it’s not just for warming up pizza … I can bake cookies and actually roast meats and vegetables in it. Good to know.

 

AT THE RISK OF REPEATING MYSELF, a few weeks back I wrote that thousands of Kansans are receiving notices that their personal information has been used to file false unemployment claims. Now, it’s personal. Last week I had a déjà vu moment, when I too received a form from the Kansas Department of Labor stating that they had received MY application for unemployment benefits. Say what? Not true. As far as I know, I’m still employed! If you or someone you know has received such a letter, take a look at Fraudulent unemployment claims are up; specialist outlines ways to protect yourself to start your journey to protect yourself. Believe me, I was revisiting the information myself.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

THE POET ROBERT FROST WROTE “FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS.” That is, unless you have a neighbor who doesn’t like fences, as I once did in a suburban neighborhood. But fences keep pets and livestock in (or out), define property boundaries and can be incredibly useful. To learn more about fences, take a look at Fences Moving Property Lines: Squatter’s Rights. By the way, Robert Frost wrote the famous line as a part of his poem, Mending Wall. And I can’t write this entry without mentioning that Kansas has some of the most visually interesting limestone fenceposts. Okay, yes, that link is to that university down the road, but thought the page was informative. More on this another time.

I SAW AN ITEM RECENTLY THAT ABOUT 25% OF FARMLAND IN KANSAS IS LEASED, so for property owners as well as lessees, it’s important to keep up with current laws. To address the latest, an Ag Lease Basics virtual meeting is set for Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. The session will cover commonly misunderstood parts of leases, as well as general information. This meeting is typically held in Geary County in person, but in the interest of keeping Kansans safe from COVID-19, it’s offered via Zoom this year. The big upside to that is you can be anywhere and participate. For more information and a link to the meeting, contact Chuck Otte at cotte@ksu.edu.

 

EVEN AS COVID-19 CONTINUES TO STARE US IN THE FACE, FARMING STILL GOES ON. To provide information that helps shape farm business decisions, a series of virtual Risk & Profit Mini-Conferences are planned for Wednesdays, starting Jan. 13. Topics, presented by K-State Research and Extension agricultural economists, include livestock options; beef market outlook; domestic grain markets and outlook, macroeconomic and interest rate outlook; ag policy and farm bill; ag technology and farmland value interactive dashboard; farm profitability; agricultural finance; and international grain markets and outlook for 2021. A fee of $20 provides access to all sessions, recordings and materials. Check it out.

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For more resources and activities, contact the K-State Research and Extension office in your area. Check out our other blogs and subscribe to our weekly emails here: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/

Better Kansas – May 7, 2020

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

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This week in Better Kansas I shed a little light 😊 on solar energy, preserving fresh produce, a farmer’s generosity, butterfly habitat, a wheat threat and farm-focused online gatherings – all to help make your life, businesses, communities and state better. This is a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Share on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

WE KNOW THAT THE SUN EMITS SOLAR ENERGY BUT UMMM… I NEVER KNEW how it’s collected and turned into energy we can use. A great two-page fact sheet covers the basics. The amount of solar radiation hitting Earth in just one hour is enough to produce more energy than the entire world population used in 2001. And there are a variety of technologies and processes used to collect and utilize solar energy. This is a great one to spark conversation with those kiddos you’ve been spending so much “quality time” with lately! 😊

 

SOME OF US ALREADY HAVE VEGETABLES PLANTED AND THEN THERE ARE THE REST OF US. Either way, if you want to preserve this year’s fruit and vegetable harvest, take a look at Preserve it Fresh, Preserve it Safe for all kinds of good information. The latest newsletter gives tips on preserving broccoli and cauliflower and the page has links to helpful videos, including many in Spanish. The very night I planted a tomato plant this week I learned that we may have a freeze this weekend. I have a feeling I’m going to be tucking it in with a blanket for a couple of nights and crossing my fingers. 

 

HERE’S A P.S. TO AN ALREADY WONDERFUL STORY: You may have heard about the retired Troy, Kansas farmer who sent a N95 mask to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to provide to a front line worker and the governor’s grateful and heartfelt response? Amid now months of devastating pandemic and economic news, this was one of those bright spots that I just had to share … years after that farmer left school just short of a bachelor’s degree, he’s now a college graduate. Don’t miss the rest of the story.

 

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

PUTTING NEW PLANTS INTO YOUR LANDSCAPE THIS SPRING? CONSIDER BUTTERFLY FRIENDLY PLANTINGS. This has been on my mind since I saw a butterfly habitat in a Minnesota neighborhood a couple of years ago. Take a look at a video on the topic that can help get us started, plus a terrific fact sheet with great pictures that focuses on the incredible monarch butterfly, whose numbers are dwindling and need our help. They REALLY like various types of milkweed, but also verbena, echinacea, sunflower, beebalm and a lot more. Kansas is one of 10 states targeted as critical in a national plan to support the monarch migration to Mexico where they overwinter. Overwintering in Mexico sounds like a great plan to me!

WE’VE BEEN PRETTY FOCUSED ON A PARTICULAR THREAT THIS PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, but wheat growers have yet another one to watch for. It’s wheat stripe rust, a disease caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis. Wheat stripe rust is a threat to wheat crops around the world because it cuts into yields and in turn, into a farmer’s bottom line. A recent Agronomy eUpdate article says now’s the time to scout your fields for the symptoms, including long stripes of yellow or orange blister-like lesions on the plant’s leaves. For great photos and even more in-depth information, check out Wheat Stripe Rust.

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I PASSED ALONG INFORMATION ABOUT ONLINE “GATHERINGS” for farmers, ranchers and those in related industries, focused on the economics of agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is still with us and continues to roil commodity markets. The online events, at 7 p.m. on Thursday evenings, have proven so popular that we’re doing more. Coming up are:

May 7 – More on Livestock Markets – Glynn Tonsor, livestock market specialist

May 14 – More on Grain Markets – Dan O’Brien, grain market specialist

May 21 – 2019 Kansas Farm Income Report – Kevin Herbel and Mark Dikeman, KFMA

Register for the online gatherings or see previous sessions on the webpage.

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For more resources and activities, contact the K-State Research and Extension office in your area. Check out our other blogs and subscribe to our weekly emails here: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/

 

 

Better Kansas – August 29, 2019

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

 

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Welcome to Better Kansas. Where every Thursday we shed light on events, resources and other information designed to make your life, businesses, communities and state better. Don’t forget to hit subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

FOR MANY EVENTS, WE PREPARE. Planning a wedding? The to-do list is a mile long. Expecting a baby? Another crazy list. But disasters happen every year in Kansas, and most of us are woefully unprepared. We’ve had tornadoes, floods and blizzards this year, with more extreme weather likely to come. It’s human nature to be in denial about bad things that might happen, but preparing ahead of time can make getting back to normal easier. Check out the Prepare Kansas blog and also look for resources on the FEMA page for National Preparedness Month. Thinking about being in denial reminds me of the Pam Tillis song Cleopatra: Queen of Denial. The mind does veer sometimes!

WHAT DRIVES YOUNG ADULTS’ FINANCIAL DECISIONS? I don’t mean the occasional stop at Starbucks, but bigger-picture decisions like buying a home or saving for retirement? Student loan debt, which tops $1.5 trillion, is a top-of-mind factor. A section of the article Money Matters in the spring 2019 K-State Seek research magazine sheds light on this and other factors that drive young adults’ financial decisions. In addition, eXtension offers student loan related fact sheets for students and parents, including savings options, such as 529 plans, types of student loans, responsible borrowing, how student loans can impact your later life, plus information on recovering from student loan default. K-State Research and Extension is part of eXtension.org.

MUSIC CAN CONNECT US, SOOTHE US AND HAVE POWERFUL EFFECTS on our emotions like nothing else can. It can take us to a different place. And research shows that listening to music as a child can affect the way we think. Researchers believe that the complexity of classical music especially, primes the brain to solve spatial problems more quickly. Take a look at Building Baby’s Brain: The Role of Music to learn more.

So maybe there WERE benefits to those squeaky 4th grade violin lessons despite your family’s cringes while you were practicing!

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

SEPTEMBER IS A GREAT TIME TO GIVE YOUR LAWN A BOOST. Tips on seeding, overseeding and fertilizing plus power raking and core-aeration are outlined in a recent horticulture newsletter. And there’s more! Information on dividing peonies, thinking ahead for next year’s vegetable garden and current challenges for oak trees are also covered. And check out the video Fertilize for a Healthy Lawn.

WHEN WE’RE HYPER-FOCUSED ON SOMETHING IT MAY FEEL LIKE WE’RE operating in a vacuum. That can be true of running a farm business or any kind of business. But stepping back and evaluating the growth and progress of your farm or other agricultural enterprise can help pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. Benchmarking against similar farms can also help you assess your financial position and inform your plans for the future. The Financial Benchmarking Tool was developed by K-State and the CoBank Research Fellow program to help agricultural producers, bankers, consultants and others benchmark their financial ratios with cohorts who are members of the Kansas Farm Management Association.

 

GOING THROUGH STRESSFUL TIMES IS EASIER WITH A BUDDY, RIGHT? Cattle feel that way, too. So, some cattle operations have installed cattle handling systems called the Bud Box, designed to reduce stress for animals and the humans working with them. I admit, when I first heard of the Bud Box I thought it was so named because cattle are more comfortable when other cattle are nearby. That is true – think herd instinct – but the Bud Box is named after stockman Bud Williams who designed the system. It does draw on basic principles of cattle behavior and movement, including that cattle want to be with other cattle. Other principles and more information are outlined in the publication, Designing a Bud Box for Cattle Handling.

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For more resources and activities, contact the K-State Research and Extension office in your area. Check out our other blogs and subscribe to our weekly emails here: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/